When are kids old enough to start operating tractor?

[JimmytheSaint]

This little guy's only 4!

 

[boggen]

the problem with kids. is panic mode. and not knowing what to do when something does happen. experience goes a long ways. so does actual physically reaching and having muscle to do things. along with being able to see around you.

i know i have had to learn things the "hard way" a few to many times. and scars to show for them. and many others that have not left scares.

it can be down right time consuming at times. and then end up being the "nag" of be careful, watch out for this and that. and going over all the controls each time before getting on. and what would they do if X or Y or Z happened.

many folks just need the "experience" i say folks including kids and adults alike. and not fully understanding limits of a machine. and what could happen. all it takes is a brief moment.

getting folks out of taking the "short cuts", and trying to keep themselves occupied say radio head phones or like vs being bored and doing what needs to be done. or perhaps wearing flip flops vs actual shoes.

 

[Jlillie2]

I think at that age they really do absorb more than we give them credit for, sure they are not real big on understanding the bigger picture, but then again, I don't understand politics. (And the four year old will eventually understand what you mean by "pinch point'. B-) I think due to video games, and their associated controllers these kids do have an advantage over us old dogs, we had to learn over time what stick does what, and most of these kids have already played a game that simulates this.

 

[boggen]

i remember seeing some sort of "farm game" or "tractor game" a couple years back, i want to say from john deere. it was in the "cheap game stack area" for only a couple bucks. wondering if it would go through any tractor doings and safety and like?

 

[Jlillie2]

i remember seeing some sort of "farm game" or "tractor game" a couple years back, i want to say from john deere. it was in the "cheap game stack area" for only a couple bucks. wondering if it would go through any tractor doings and safety and like?

My grandson has an excavator game on his iTouch that was free "Excavator 2.0", and its amazingly realistic. He plays that when hes not operating my Takeuchi TB25. B-)

 

[nuffer460]

That, in itself, is a loaded question. I spent my summers on my Grandparents farm. When my grandfather and or Uncle needed help. If you could do the job. You were pressed into service. For me and my cousin it started about age 10. My cousin would steer the Studibaker flatbed and I would work the pedals. As we got older and could operate the tractors. We got the job. The big thing is we were always suppervised. Now days, is a whole nother issue. Child Labor laws prohibit opperating machinery. I think it's ashame, but I see adults that should never be on a tractor also.

 

[Jlillie2]

Jims Excavator #12 - six year old Dan operating the Takeuchi - YouTube
This was a video I shot of my grandson when he was six (His first time operating the excavator) I shot it for his mother so she could see what he does when he comes up to visit gramp.) This wasn't his first safety instruction on the excavator, just a refresher. They have excellent muscle memory at this age, but anything past that can't be taken for granted. If you notice, in my safety briefing, I let him know in no uncertain terms that the safety lock must be disengaged before leaving the seat, or you will get a foot cut off by the turn table. (Not likely unless you are 7' tall or so, but not impossible either.) I am always right out of camera range, and he is secured in the machine. Not much he can do to actually injure himself in there, and he has instituted our emergency shut down a couple of times when he was unsure of something. When it doubt, cut it out.

 

[Qapla]

When kids are 8,9,10 they are already trying to jump their bikes over all sorts of things, riding them down steps or even the metal handrail. Before long (or at the same time) they are doing the same thing on skateboards. They will ride the skateboard down one side of a "half-pipe" (or whatever they call it) and up the other side launching themselves high in the air while twisting and spinning before coming back down. They do not always have a smooth landing.

They also start doing the x-game type things on motorized bikes while still quite young and each year the things they do get even more extreme.

Some of the divers at the Olympics are in their teens. To get that good at the 10 M platform (that's nearly 40' above the water) they did not just start last year. They have been diving like that for several years. Let's see - in the Olympics at 16 with at least 4 years of training means they were throwing themselves 40' down into the water since they were 12 or younger. And, when they started, they were not landing the dive as smooth as they are now. According to one of the commentators, they hit the water at 35MPH.

Kids are playing tackle football from Pop Warner on - sure they where pads, but they do not prevent concussions, as has been in the news lately. Plus, when they live where it is Hockey or Soccer, they are not wearing all that much protective gear.

But, since these things are not "tractors" no one seems to mind or argue that they are too young to be doing/learning/trying them.

 

[Jlillie2]

Yea, I would love to see a study of sports related v:s family farm related injury/death. I'm betting the family farm is a lot safer....

 

[RaydaKub]

Excellent point, Qapla.